Meet Charlie

(9) Battle Scars

:)

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Charlie's POV

I continued to stare at the lurking figure above me whilst still sat on the concrete ground. In agonising pain of course. All there was to hear were a few cars whizzing past us and more drunk groups of people stumbling their way down the street. Not a word was said. I'm guessing my own facial expression was enough to show how confused and shocked I was. Furrowed eyebrows and petrified looking eyes were all Derek could probably see on my beaten up face. After a long moment of silence, Derek crouched down to my level on the ground.

"Where do you hurt?" was the first question he asked. Honestly, I was surprised. No "where the hell have you been?" or "why the hell are you lurking in a dark and dangerous alleyway like this you little idiot?"

I pointed at the place where it most hurt which was my sides where they kicked me repeatedly. Something I would force myself to forget. All that experience I just had, I wished I could erase it from my memory.

"Okay, can you stand up buddy?"

Obviously not dumb ass, I thought. You just saw me being kicked and punched multiple times in the head, sides and my whole fricking body by a group of violent drunkies and you think I can stand up?

I attempted to anyway, seeing as I definitely didn't want to spend any more time in my current, miserable location. This ended up failing horribly and painfully. I grunted when I felt the sharp pains in his battered and bruised sides and mostly his legs. Just let me die now please. Not only was I shattered from head to toe and unable to move, but I was also the closest I've ever been to the person I hate the most.

"Here let me help you," Derek offered. Even when saying something as nice and innocent as that, I could still sense the evil hiding in his voice. I gave in and accepted nevertheless. All I wanted was to get out of this alleyway, home and into bed. If that meant having to accept help from a man who is so agonisingly evil then I will have to do just that.

I put my arm around Derek's neck as he put his arm around my waist to help me up. Even when he tried to put the lightest bit of pressure on my bruised ribs, I still winced in pain. I managed to stand, even with my crushed legs. Once I was comfortable and adjusted, we started to make our way out of the dark and deadly alleyway. We were presumably trudging to the car which Derek used to drive here. That helped me come up with a question to try and break the tension.

"How did you find me? And why are you even here?" I managed to breath out of my ruined lungs. I used all of the strength I had left to shove the man that was apperently my step dad, away from me. I immediately regretted it as I had to collapse onto the wall in order to keep myself upright. Barely.

"Oh I was just...you know driving around in the dark about 100 miles away from home at quarter to midnight...why do you think Charlie?" he said sternly. Bit of an exaggeration.

"Well?" Derek tried again to get any answer at all out of me.

I just simply shrugged my shoulders and kept moving my eyesight away from the piercing pair trying to get a hold of them.

"Really? That's all you have to say? Charlie, your mum has been worries sick about you," he snapped.

"I lost track of time...and you saw how those guys didn't exactly help".

"That doesn't answer the question of why you are walking around at this hour in dark streets filled with drunks".

"I told you, I lost track of time. I was just taking a walk and didn't realise it was this late until now when I was just about to walk back. Then these guys just came out of the pub and spotted me. That's all there is to it," I managed to wince whilst holding one hand on my ribs and the other holding myself up against the brick wall. I had moments where I tried moving during my sentences, but failed just as I expected. I squinted my eyes and gritted my teeth, trying not to scream in agony.